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| Tales of royal foodies... | | EXTRACT |
| Salma Husain / New Delhi Aug 30, 2008, 02:10 IST |
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The Mughals transformed the country’s cuisine by intermingling Central Asian, Persian and Afghani influences with native styles and ingredients. Scholar and food consultant Salma Husain researches into the contribution of the Mughal emperors to give us history — with a dash of spice
The Mughals were gourmets and food was important to them, so when the Emperor moved, the first to move was his kitchen. “It is the custom of the court,” says Manucci, an Italian traveller, “to move the royal kitchen ten o clock at night prior to the emperor’s departure to ensure that the royal breakfast is prepared by the time the emperor arrives the next morning… It consisted of 50 camels who carried the supplies, 50 well-fed cows to provide milk, 200 coolies to carry china and serving dishes, mules to carry cookwares, also there are dainties in charge of cooks (from which only one dish is expected sealed in Malacca velvet. A military contingent escorted the royal kitchen with water-bearers, sweepers, leather workers, and torchbearers.”
The Ain-i-Akbari, detailing every aspect of Akbar’s government, written by his courtier Abul Fazl has a vivid and fascinating chapter devoted to the imperial kitchen. Abul Fazl provides a list of recipes which reflect that the Mughal diet heavily relied on rice, wheat, gram, barley and other lentils. Bernier describes how the shops were stacked with pots of ghee, rice, wheat and endless variety of other grains. The Central Asian and Persian influence is evident in the recipes listed in the Ain-i-Akbari.
Abul Fazl writes that the kitchen department was headed by Mir Baqwal (Master of the Kitchen), an officer of the rank of 600 horses (in Akbar’s reign). Hakim Humam held the post under the direct control of the vizier (prime minister). Mir Baqwal had under him an army of cooks, tasters, attendants, bearers and a special officer for betel. Cooks came from Persia, Central Asia, Afghanistan and regions of India.
The hand-written account of the royal kitchens of the Mughal emperors reveals that very few spices like cumin, coriander, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fennel were used in the cooking. Cartloads of almonds, pistachios, walnut, dried apricots ad plums, and raisins were imported to Hindustan along the new roads which were constructed to facilitate trade throughout northern India, Central Asia, and Persia. Nuts and raisins were added to dishes to make them exotic and befitting the imperial table.
The use of sugar and saffron with lemon juice was common, perhaps to create the sweet and sour effect of Persia and to reduce the heat of saffron, used in large quantity. Almond was used not only to give body to the dish but also to enrich the flavour and give strength to mind and body.
The royal kitchen had its own budget and a separate accounts department. In the beginning of the year, the sub-treasurer made out an annual estimate and received the amount. Every month, a statement of the expenditure was drawn and submitted to the vizier. Every day, 1,000 rupees was disbursed for the expense of the king’s table.
The Mughals did not pay much attention to the adornment of the dining place; their food itself was always rich, colourful and decorated with gold and silver leaves. Each cook tried his best to excel and present something unique. Some items of food were made to look like gems, fruits were cut in the shape of flowers and leaves, dried fruits were glazed with Babool gum and added to pulaos, and the glee for cooking was coloured and flavoured.
Yoghurt was set in seven colours but in one bowl, and cottage cheese was set in bamboo baskets. Drinking water was a major item of expense for the Mughal emperors were fastidious about water and normally drank water only from the Ganga, which had to be brought from considerable distance.
THE EMPEROR’S TABLE
Author: Salma Husain
Publisher: Roli Books
Price: Rs 695
Pages: 143
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